Cronus

System Lord Cronus

Earth Culture of Origin

Greece

Alternate Names / Spellings

Cronos, Chronos (Greek for time), Kronus, Kronos, Father of the Titans

Presides Over

Father of the Titans

Personal Symbols

Cronus was depicted carrying a sickle used to gather the harvest, but this was also the weapon he used to castrate his father.

Earth Mythological References

Son of Uranus (the sky) and Gaia (the earth), Cronus was one of their first children, known as the Titans. Uranus was cruel, imprisoning his children because of a prophecy that one of them would kill him. Cronus succeeded in that task and began to rule in his place, becoming just a cruel a tyrant as his father. Cronus married his sister, Rhea, and as their children were born, he ate them to attempt to foil a similar prophecy about himself and his offspring. Rhea managed to hide the baby Zeus from him, and when Zeus was fully grown, he coaxed the Oceanid Metis into giving Cronus an emetic, which caused him to vomit up his other children. Afterward, Zeus deposed Cronus and flung him into the abyss of Tartarus.

A different telling of the history shows Cronus as a benevolent ruler who presided over a golden age. When he handed over rule to Zeus, Cronus went to the Isles of the Blessed in the Western Ocean. This aspect links Cronus to Saturn, a Roman god with whom he is sometimes identified.

An incorrect spelling of his name as Chronos by some Greek authors casts yet another identity upon him that of Father Time with his scythe.

Stargate References

Cronus was the most influential of the System Lords. He banished Sokar from their ranks and was a mortal enemy of Apophis. He was the most likely candidate for sending the Ashrak (assassin) to kill Jolinar of Malkshur, the Tokra symbiote who invaded Maj. Carter. (2.02 The Enemy Within)

Cronus was first seen in the episode Fair Game, in which he was one of three System Lords involved in hammering out a treaty with the Asgard for protected planet status for Earth. During the conference, Cronus was attacked and badly injured, along with Teal’c. Teal'c was considered a suspect in the attack, and while SG-1 investigated, it was revealed that Teal'c's father had been Cronus' First Prime of Cronus. Having failed to win an unwinnable battle, Cronus killed the Jaffa himself. This old grudge was meant to set Teal’c up as a patsy for Cronus murder, thus ensuring that the talks would fail. An investigation proved that Teal’c was not at fault and that the real culprit was Nirrti, using phase shifting technology acquired from the Reetou to make herself invisible. Cronus was healed and Nirrti's deception was revealed. In return for this, Yu and Cronus agreed to the terms of the treaty to make Earth a protected planet was signed. Cronus and Lord Yu took Nirrt into their custody for punishment. (3.03 Fair Game)

Teal'c learns from Shaun'ac that she can communicate with her symbiote through Kel-no-reem. Teal'c accesses memories of his symbiote via deep Kel-no-reem and sees the death of his father at Cronus' hand. (4.04 Crossroads)

The next appearance of Cronus was on the planet Juna (P3X-729). His Jaffa came in ships and wrested control of the planet, just before the SG-1 androids made their first foray into that world through the Stargate. Three of the team were captured by Cronus and the Daniel-android was beheaded before the Goauld and his court. The Jack-android sent a message to the SGC, calling for support from the original SG-1. With their help, the androids managed to help the Junans overthrow Cronus and kill him, at the cost of the lives of all of the SG-1 androids. (4.14 Double Jeopardy)

Teal'c forgets who his friends are after having been captured and placed in the sarcophagus in Enemies. SG-1 and the Tok'ra Selmak/Jacob save Teal'c's body, but as his mentor Master Bra'tac says, it is his mind that needs to be saved. Bra'tac removed his prim'ta in order for Teal'c to endure the ritual of M'al Sharran. Teal'c grows weak and delirious without his symbiote. In his delirium, Teal'c has flashbacks of his life including his introduction to Apophis, wherein Apophis learns Teal'c's father was murdered by Cronus for 'failing his god'. Teal'c denies this and is rewarded by being ribboned for his insolence. (5.02 Threshold)

Episodes

• 3.03 "Fair Game"
• 4.04 "Crossroads"
• 4.21 "Double Jeopardy"

Related Characters

• Col. Jack O'Neill
• Dr. Daniel Jackson
• Maj. Samantha Carter
• Teal'c
• Darien
• Harlan
• Ja'din
• Jolinar of Malkshur
• Nirrti
• Ronac
• Sindar
• Yu

Related Articles

• Goa'uld
• Ha'tak
• Jaffa
• Juna
• SG-1's Android Doubles

Further Reading

• http://www.pantheon.org/articles/c/cronus.html
• http://www.mythology.com/cronus.html

Actor

• Ron Halder

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--Article Started by: DeeKayP 12:36, 28 Sep 2004 (PDT)
--Article Completed by: